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This unique home is built up high on a hilltop overlooking the Wainiha Valley. Surrounded by beautiful jungle vegetation you will be reminded of what old Hawaii must have felt like. It is situated at the end of the road about 1/4 mile from the Wainiha Grocery store Hub and the ocean front. We are 3 miles past Hanalei town towards the Na Pali coast and 2 miles from the Na Pali coast and the Kalalau trail. The property is at the end of our street on an acre of landscaped grounds with 4000 acres of tropical conservation rainforest jungle surrounding it on 3 sides. The atmosphere is peaceful and secluded and guests that love it here are seeking a tranquil retreat where they can be in the midst of nature, close to beaches and hiking trails and exerience the joys of eco-tourism.
You wake to the gentle sounds of the river below, a songbird symphony and distant ocean waves, . Early morning rains bring amazing rainbows stretching across the valley. There is an enclosed indoor lanai that overlooks the valley and a large open outdoor lanai with a BBQ and the same vast unobstructed valley and mountain views.
The home is built to optimize trade wind flow so the temperature stays comfortable even on the warmest of days. Each room has windows overlooking valley , jungle and mountain. Lush tropical vegetation abounds such as red, pink, white gingers, orchids, green, yellow and red palms.. sacred ti's and much much more.
There are many cove like beaches within a 1/4 mile to 4 miles of the home such as Hanalei Bay, Lumaha'i, Tunnels, Ke'e as well as some local less known and less frequented spots. If you like to explore or photograph each day is a gift. The Na Pali coast with its famous Kalalau trail is 2 miles away. Hanalei town is about an 8 minute drive away where you can find little restaurants from casual to very high end and lots of little shops as well as a few night life spots.
The home is about 1400 sq ft of space with 2 large bedrooms, set off on each end of the large open living room. There is a third sleeping area with a single day bed in the enclosed indoor lanai. Guests often comment that they love that area for lounging and reading
The home has a ohana cottage built onto the back on the ground level. It functions separately and privately from the Red Ginger and has its own entrance, bathroom and lu'au kitchen and garden area. It can usually be rented in addition if you are wishing more space,
Kauai County #9481 . The owner is available to assist with home and island questions.
Keywords: Exotic Hilltop Jungle home with awesome views of the mountains, jungle and valleys.

Overview

Details

cottage

1,400
sq. ft.

Sleeps

4

Bedrooms

1

Bathrooms

1

Minimum Stay

3 nights

About the property

House 2 bedroom villa style house overlooking mountains and valleys/

This unique home is built up high on a hilltop overlooking the Wainiha Valley. Surrounded by beautiful jungle vegetation you will be reminded of what old Hawaii must have felt like. It is situated at the end of the road about 1/4 mile from the Wainiha Grocery store Hub and the ocean front. We are 3 miles past Hanalei town towards the Na Pali coast and 2 miles from the Na Pali coast and the Kalalau trail. The property is at the end of our street on an acre of landscaped grounds with 4000 acres of tropical conservation rainforest jungle surrounding it on 3 sides. The atmosphere is peaceful and secluded and guests that love it here are seeking a tranquil retreat where they can be in the midst of nature, close to beaches and hiking trails and exerience the joys of eco-tourism.

You wake to the gentle sounds of the river below, a songbird symphony and distant ocean waves, . Early morning rains bring amazing rainbows stretching across the valley. There is an enclosed indoor lanai that overlooks the valley and a large open outdoor lanai with a BBQ and the same vast unobstructed valley and mountain views.

The home is built to optimize trade wind flow so the temperature stays comfortable even on the warmest of days. Each room has windows overlooking valley , jungle and mountain. Lush tropical vegetation abounds such as red, pink, white gingers, orchids, green, yellow and red palms.. sacred ti's and much much more.

There are many cove like beaches within a 1/4 mile to 4 miles of the home such as Hanalei Bay, Lumaha'i, Tunnels, Ke'e as well as some local less known and less frequented spots. If you like to explore or photograph each day is a gift. The Na Pali coast with its famous Kalalau trail is 2 miles away. Hanalei town is about an 8 minute drive away where you can find little restaurants from casual to very high end and lots of little shops as well as a few night life spots.

The home is about 1400 sq ft of space with 2 large bedrooms, set off on each end of the large open living room. There is a third sleeping area with a single day bed in the enclosed indoor lanai. Guests often comment that they love that area for lounging and reading

The home has a ohana cottage built onto the back on the ground level. It functions separately and privately from the Red Ginger and has its own entrance, bathroom and lu'au kitchen and garden area. It can usually be rented in addition if you are wishing more space,

Kauai County #9481 . The owner is available to assist with home and island questions.

Keywords: Exotic Hilltop Jungle home with awesome views of the mountains, jungle and valleys.

About Dawn McConnell

I am a nurse, photographer & writer. I've travelled the world in my lifetime and lived in unusual and intriquing places. I settled in Kauai a few years back because i found it to be a ' sacred world apart'. I lived here with my daughter until life and the mainland called to her.

The home is in a special area known by the locals to have ' good mana'. So when I say it is whispered that dreams can come true here, I am serious, if you can tune in that is.

Although the house was eventually too big for me alone, I choose to stay here and share the magic it offers. I have rented it now for almost 8 years and have met vacationers from all around the world and every walk of life. . Its magic seems to attract , for the most part, unique and delightful people and I feel blessed by that.

The tranquility of the property and the gentle sounds of water and birds make writing and daydreaming easy. The local people are full of life and heart. You can learn the meaning of aloha here just by hanging out with them.

In my travels I was drawn to the richness of life, the multifacited human experience, so Kauai has been perfect for me. Aparently it is one of the most diversely populated places in America.

Hanalei is not for those who seek a bland, homogenous experience. I say that to warn off any travellers who would fare better the resort hotel vacation.

This is a safe place, probably as safe as any you can find, but it is not sterile. Someone might yell at you when you '' hog' the bridge, and once in awhile you hear a wild boar hunt way off in the jungle or a sky shaking thunderstorm passes through , leaving us sparkling clean and wide awake.

My life has not always been easy but it has been a good teacher. It has taught me to be open to it, to be more, rather than less, to hear the whole forest of birds sing and not miss out because I'm irritated by one rooster's morning crow. Kauai is perfect for that kind of ' adventure' . It is saturated with sacredness.

Dawn McConnell purchased this cottage in 2004

Why Dawn McConnell chose Hanalei

We choose this property because I was very ill when I moved to Kauai and needed a place to try and heal. I immedately knew that this place was special and if I could recover anywhere it would be here. Within months my health began to improve and now 10 years later I am healthy again. I know in my heart of hearts it was because of the magic that is here.

What makes this cottage unique

I enjoy all the benefits that I have mentioned already. I forgot to mention though that this place is never without a story, a new screen play or a new experience of some multileveled kind. If you are a photographer you will never lack the perfect picture. They are constantly unfolding everywhere. If you want to be part of the community here you can get involved. There is a lot going on to get involved in. There is an ongoing development and encouragement towards sustainable living and best of all there is a spark of a movement back to the old ways of Ohana ( shared living and caring) kuleana (respect and responsibilty) and aloha..which is heart.

Guestbook comments from the owner

We REALLY enjoyed your " treehouse" Sitting on the lanai during the rain or waking to a rainbow just outside our window was extremely enjoyable. Or fav place to eat was the dolphin ( their fish tacos are to die for) but having our own little Hawiian BBQ downstairs was also fun and tasty. The most amazing hike we have ever been on was the Kalalau trail. LONG Day but TOTALLY worth it! The St Regis brunch is delicious ( especially when you add passion fruit or guava mimosas) and has the best view for any meal. We loved playing with your kitties and loved discovering wildlife here. Swimming with the turtles " so totally rocks " ( as Crush would say) Thanks and aloha..

Master bedroom has a queen bed. It is a large room with beautiful views of the valley, jungle and mountain. There is also a second bedroom that looks out into the jungle, with a queen bed as well. It has views of the jungle vegetation

Entertainment:

Books

DVD Player

Satellite / Cable ...

Television

VCR

Video Library

Outside:

Bicycles

Deck / Patio

Golf ...

Kayak / Canoe ...

Lanai / Gazebo ...

Lawn / Garden

Outdoor Grill

Outdoor Grill Gas

Patio

Porch / Veranda

Unscreened Porch / Veranda

Water Sports Gear ...

Wood Deck

2 bicycles

Suitability:

wheelchair inaccessible

Onsite Services:

Massage

Attractions:

cinemas

health/beauty spa

library

marina

playground

restaurants

Leisure Activities:

antiquing

beachcombing

bird watching

boating

eco tourism

horseback riding

luaus

miniature golf

paddle boating

scenic drives

shelling

shopping

sight seeing

walking

whale watching

wildlife viewing

Local Services & Businesses:

ATM/bank

fitness center

groceries

hospital

massage therapist

medical services

Sports & Adventure Activities:

cycling

deepsea fishing

fishing

fly fishing

freshwater fishing

golf

hiking

hunting

jet skiing

kayaking

mountain biking

paragliding

parasailing

pier fishing

rafting

rock climbing

sailing

scuba diving or snorkeling

snorkeling

snorkeling/diving

sound/bay fishing

spelunking

surf fishing

surfing

swimming

water skiing

wind-surfing

Notes:

nearest beach is a quarter of mile away, several other beaches within one to five miles away. Famous Kalalau trail is about 2 1/2 mile away

Beautiful and luxurious jungle retreat

Our stay began with the incredibly fantastic surprise that renovation work was being completed in the downstairs unit of this jungle retreat, so we were getting an upgrade to the more spacious and somewhat more luxurious upstairs unit (Red Ginger Hale), which we thoroughly enjoyed over our three days on the north end of Kauai. Some of my favorite things included...

1. Waking up to the dawn of birds singing in the jungle, looking at the treetops and mountain ridge from our comfortable bed in the master room

2. Meals at the table in the enclosed jungle lanai – windows on three sides open to sounds and views (our daughter relished sleeping in the daybed next to the table)

3. The massage chair that was in nearly constant use during waking hours when we were home by one of the four of us

4. The incredible outdoor rain forest shower -- never once used the indoor shower

5. Dawn's thoughtful and relaxed hospitality

All in all a fabulous kick off to our week on Kauai. We would return in a heartbeat.

Submitted: Feb 18, 2016

Stayed: February 2016

Source: VRBO, from HomeAway

Owner's Response: Mahalo Megan for this review. We are so glad you enjoyed your stay in our Hale. What a lovely family you have! It would certainly be our pleasure if you all make it back to stay with us again some day.
To help clarify.. This family had initially rented the ohana cottage on the property ( Song of the Jungle) . We were wanting to do some upgrades on the cottage so we gave this family the option to stay in this house ( Red Ginger Hale) instead since it was available. The Red GInger Hale ( Hale means house in Hawaiian) is somewhat larger than the Song of the Jungle cottage and has a different layout ( the kitchen , living room and enclosed lanai are open to each other. It also has some added some luxury features such as a larger fridge with ice maker, massage chair, dishwasher. It is built up higher than the Song of the Jungle cottage so it has somewhat more expansive views. The Song is a cottage and has cottage cosy charm and nice gardens ( but no massage chair or dishwasher) Hope that helps for anyone that may need some clarifications.

Truly a jungle paradise

This property is definitely off the beaten track, but well worth the drive. The views of the mountains and all the flora on the property were amazing. There's a river/stream just below the property that you can hear from inside. Nice walking trails around the house. Dawn was very accommodating - shared fresh picked oranges and also allowed for a late checkout to accomdate our flight. Although secluded, there are multiple units on this property (below red ginger and next door) so it's not quite as private as we had anticipated. Overall a lovely experience.

Great North Shore location

To see Kauai's best natural treasures. So relaxing to come "home" to this quiet place tucked away at the of the road, surrounded by beauty. Fresh fish grilled back at the house and fresh fruit from the farmers market for breakfast - paradise!

WORST vacation rental experience ever. We've never been treated like this by anyone before.

We rented this unit because on VRBO we read the 18 positive reviews and ignored the 2 really bad ones thinking they were overly picky renters. Turns out, many of the things the bad reviews mentioned were things we experienced as well, plus much worse. This was the first bad VRBO experience out of 10-15 other previous rentals. The listing description is deceiving, leaving out details that would have kept us from renting in the first place. Doesn’t mention owner lives on the property right underneath the unit. There are also 2 other rental units underneath and next to this one as well. Also doesn't state that she doesn't more than 2 people to stay in a 2 bdrm unit, yet changes her mind and changes her listing later on to try to extort more rental fees from us after we paid in full for the unit months prior. Plus, the unit was very dirty, much like the 2 bad reviews mentioned. When we told her about it, rather than apologizing and offering to clean the unit, she blamed us, and said we we planted all of the dirt to try and manipulate her. After contract, she said that she doesn't allow extra guests, but then changed her mind and said she would be ok with us bringing another couple. Said she would get back to me to confirm, but never did. Called and emailed her multiple times 4 days before our trip to confirm, got no response until the very last night before we left. When we got there after a long flight at 10pm, she was at the door waiting for us, and started complaining we had 4 people. She now had no recollection of the conversation we had earlier and started telling us we need to pay more. I asked if we can discuss in the morning. Next morning, she unlocked our door, walked right in, she started yelling at us because we were making too much noise apparently and started demanding 25% more in fees in cash. Said if we didn't pay right now, she would kick us all out. We were making breakfast and listening to music on a small bluetooth speaker we brought. She was waiving her finger at all of us, shoved her noise policy in my wife's face and then stormed out and slammed the door. We couldn't get more than 3 words out of our mouths before she'd interrupt us. We even called the police dept to see if we had any rights about her kicking us out. They said it's a civil matter. She came into our unit 2 more times, acting as rude and hostile as the first. We ended up just paying her so she'd leave us alone and we could get on with our vacation.

Submitted: Jul 11, 2016

Stayed: March 2016

Source: VRBO, from HomeAway

Owner's Response: This was an unfortunate situation with some difficult guests that were not really a good match for our home and what we offer.
We are located in a quiet, tranquil location and are not suited for guests that wish to have an aggressive party type of vacation.. We are best suited to guests seeking to enjoy the local world in Kauai and the natural sounds of jungle river and ocean. The home has two bedrooms just as described. There is also one ohana cottage build onto the back of the home just as described in the website. Unfortunately these guests have choosen to write a review with the intent to misrepresent. .
We are ideal of one couple or two persons. We do rent to more than 2 persons at times if we have been notified ahead of time and are aware and have pre-approved, via contract, the number of guests wishing to stay with us. There are extra charges per night for guests > 2. FYI.. We treat all our guests with the welcome of aloha and really appreciate how 99% of our guests treat us with the same respect and aloha in return. It makes offering our home joyful rather than stressful .

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